Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it summoned Norway’s Chargé d’Affaires in Moscow to protest the ongoing seizure of Russian state property and a research vessel at the request of Ukraine.
In a statement, the ministry condemned Norwegian court rulings that have kept the research ship Professor Molchanov impounded at the port of Barentsburg on the Svalbard archipelago and seized five Russian state properties in Norway.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry and relevant Russian agencies will seek to lift the seizure of Russian property,” the statement read, noting that the court ruling was handed down on Sept. 22.
It warned that prolonged winter mooring of the Professor Molchanov risks causing “operational failure and serious environmental consequences.”
Norwegian authorities seized the ship on Sept. 2 to enforce a court-ordered $4.2 billion arbitration award by Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz. In 2023, a Hague-based arbitration court ordered Russia to compensate Naftogaz for assets expropriated during the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Last Wednesday, a Norwegian court dismissed an appeal by state-owned Arktikugol, which manages Russian operations on Svalbard, ruling that the company lacks legal standing to challenge the seizure and ordering it to pay $300,000 in legal fees to Naftogaz.
The Foreign Ministry said the Professor Molchanov served as the primary means of transportation for personnel and vital supplies to the Russian coal-mining settlement of Barentsburg on Svalbard after Western sanctions cut off direct air travel with Russia.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
